Little Surprises

So last night I was getting ready to watch the Perfect Pats in HD when my phone rang. It was my little sister calling from little Tokyo (or Little Saigon or something like that) in Cali. She found the best packaged ramen known to man. Yup... Kung-Fu brand ramen. It is sold by the case (30 packs) for the low low price of 8 bucks. She is shipping me a case.
But really what I wanted to write about is how great a person she has become. I regularly receive packages in the mail with little gifts for Tyler. But the best things are when I get calls about something that reminds her of being young (like the most recent do you want ramen shipped to you). It is hard to explain in a post, but trust me, she is the best little sister a guy could ask for.

Homecoming

If you didn't know, my little brother lives in Omaha. He comes in for the holidays on Friday. I am excited. My parents bought him a plane ticket for Christmas. I think it is more for them than him, but it doesn't really matter. I am 30 years old and the past 7 months is the longest I have gone without seeing him... ever. I miss him because we see the world similarly, and he is good to talk to about whatever. I like hanging out with the 29 year old guy as much as I liked hanging out with the 9 year old kid when I was 10. We used to walk around with one arm over eachothers shoulder. Now life has us living 2000 miles apart, but I still walk through the world like he is there watching me. There are few people that I care what they think about me or how I live my life, but he is one of the top 3 for sure. I hope he moves back soon enough to get to know Tyler and more importantly so Tyler can get to know him. He is a good role model not for what he does for work or for his college degree or even for his Nguyen work ethic, but for being the best friend a guy could ask for. So during your busy holidays, remember..... it's about getting to hang out with family and friends not about having to hang out with them.

Happy Holidays

I remember a christmas that I asked for a Twisted Sister album. I couldn't have it because of "the guy eating raw meat" on the cover. But really is there a better way to hear Jesus christmas songs than through the glam rock bands of our youth?

Sorry Ralph and Monica

I don't know if you know them but Ralph and Monica own Mr. Bagel in Windham Maine. I just wanted to send my condolences as The Today Show might have killed their business this morning. They did a piece on a new book titled "Eat This, Not That". It is about making the best choice when eating out at fast food places and sit down restaurants. They showed the calories and fat content of some of the things found in the book. One of the side by side comparison was the Awesome Blossom which contained over 2100 calories and 133 grams of fat. The better choice was 9 orders of BK onion rings. NINE ORDERS!!! But to get back to my point, what was cited as better than a bagel with cream cheese? Two McMuffins. Two McMuffins is actually a "healthier" choice for breakfast than a bagel and cream cheese. Which are you going to get the next morning you need to grab breakfast on the fly? And that's why I say sorry Ralph and Monica.

Realization

Today I have the TV tuned to the 90's music channel. I just decided that all of the music that would be in the soundtrack of my life was made in the 90's. So what generation does that make me? Gen X? Whatever, all I know is that pop culture runs 20 years behind itself. If you hadn't noticed (you must be living under a rock), "new" fashion and and "new" music are very 80's reminiscent. So in three to seven years I will be en vogue again. I wonder if this phenomenon of pop culture running 20 years behind itself plays a factor in the "mid-life crisis" that many people go through. I mean if music and fashion remind you of another time in your life wouldn't it be safe to say that it would cause you to act as though you were younger? We all have those songs that "take us back". If you take those feelings that you have now and then and make them an everyday thing, that would probably set someone into a mid-life crisis. So if I just keep all of my baggy cargo-pants and polo shirts, green jeans, and get a crappy old 2 door Chevy Cavalier, I will be totally in style in a few years, not to mention prepared. Maybe I should dust off my Prince and Boys to Men Cd's in anticipation.

Afterthought 1:
Beware of a Kenny G comeback tour!! But welcome the Black Crows comeback.

When it is all figured out...

I think that when it is all figured out the "new media" will be profitable to networks. I also think that the writers will be better off for all of the money that networks are spending on market research, site designs, even creative marketing with regard to this "new medium". I think the writers are early on their need to see their piece of the pie.

"while digital technology is enabling companies to start all sorts of new-media ventures, the profits have been elusive."

If we look back at the VCR we see that it was strongly opposed by most of the entertainment industry. We see that the perception was that money would be lost on the piracy of the "intellectual property".

"In the early '80s the movie industry fought the very existence of the VCR. (''The VCR is to the movie industry what the Boston Strangler was to a woman alone,'' said Jack Valenti, head of the Motion Picture Association of America.) In 1984 the Supreme Court, by one vote, found VCRs not to be illegal tools of copyright infringement, and even Valenti now agrees that it has been a boon to profits through rentals - even though consumers can tape shows, watch them again and again, and even swap them with friends."

Playing Monday morning quarterback a bit, but maybe it would have been smart for the writers guild to have waited and gotten more information on the type of distribution the video tape would get before signing off on how they would be paid by it's production. I think the hard part here is that the "new media" is not even developed and may not be covered by the new contract that is being striken(?) over.

Seriously guys, get back to work you lazy assed half wits.

What are you doing with your wednesday nights?

Two words....Kid Nation. If you aren't watching it you should start now. Set your DVRs if you must, but watch the show. We were all kids once so we know what life can be like as a child. These kids are different, they will change the way you look at kids today. Check out Kid Nation wednesday night (8pm eastern).

Ask and I Shall Receive

Do it and let me know your results in the coments.

The Office

Ok, I changed my mind. Only the writers of the show The Office have to go to work, whatever they want..... a billion dollars an episode..... ok I'll watch more commercials so they can have their billion. I am watching The Office that aired last night. It is so funny. Ok well the real reason I am bringing this up is that it makes me wonder about the viewers in real offices. Maybe Rae and Josh can fill me in as to whether or not I am right. Ok I am thinking that every office has their Dwight or Toby or Meridith. But do they know it? I wonder if the people that are odd like Dwight watch the office and think "UH OH.... I am my offices Dwight". Or maybe they watch the show and think Dwight's oddities are funny and feel bad that he has few friends because he is SOOOOO WIERD. Maybe we all watch it and think we are the Jim of our little worlds. I guess if I had to I think I would probably be the hmmm..... comment and let me know who I would most likely be in the show.

Not Again...

Ok. Strike in Hollywood. Like I have said before I understand being paid fairly, but come on. I can only hope the strike is resolved in three months or more. That would be pimp. I would love to see these writers go out and take crappy third shift minimum wage jobs to make ends meet while they complain about their dream jobs "ripping them off" when it comes to being paid for Internet downloads. Get over it. I think that if you have a job that you don't like you are free to get another job. I think that if you disagree with your wages you are free to work harder and earn a raise. I think that if you have a cushy desk job that only asks you to be creative and have fun while entertaining yourselves and the masses you have the right to go and work in a warehouse for 9 bucks an hour to remember why you wanted that writers job to begin with. I can tell you this.... I like me some TV shows, but I also like playing board games. If there is never another joke written for Jay Leno BIG FREAKIN' DEAL! That is one less joke that he can butcher with his weak ass timing. If there is never another episode of Lost made...... oh no what will I do with that hour I spend not watching lost anyway. You see where I am going with this? I think that the writers of TV shows see themselves as indispensable to society, not the case. This is going to open the door for more reality shows the longer it goes. So I say good luck crushing your own dreams for an extra buck.